Afterglow

We were all too tired to move after the party last night, but eventually we wandered off to various spots to sleep. My mother has never had so many people staying in her house overnight. Tom, Laurel and Bri had the guest bedroom; Phi and Jeri took the fold-out bed in the den, with Lester's bed on the floor near them; my mother had her room; and Walt and I took the couch and recliner, respectively.

We all slept in various ways. Bri was up and down all night, Laurel reported. Lester left Jeri and Phil to come and sleep with Walt and me. She came and licked my face and then settled down on the floor next to Walt. I don't remember if my mother slept well or not. Walt said he heard the clock chime every hour of the night and I know I moved from recliner to small couch and back to recliner throughout the night,finally waking up between 6:30 and 7, when the iPod ran out of battery juice!

Eventually everyone started staggering out and the two sets of parents getting their "children" ready for the day. Jeri and Phil took Lester for a long walk and found a dog park where she could romp with other dogs.

Laurel and Tom got Bri ready to get into her jogging stroller so they could go jogging with her--but first she had to show me her "baby bling."

While they were out, my mother took the opportunity to look through her cards and the memory book that we made for her.

When everyone came back, we were actually able to squeeze all of us around my mother's table for breakfast.

And finally it was time to start for our respective destinations. Phil, Walt and Lester left first. They are on their first leg of the drive back across the country. Jeri has class to teach on Tuesday, so she will be flying back to Boston.

Tom and Laurel will take two days to make the drive back to Santa Barbara, since Bri does not do well on long car trips. They are stopping in Monterey and going to the Aquarium (a place I've wanted to see ever since it opened twenty-five years ago -- Brianna will see it before I do!).

I drove home alone, wondering what I would find when I got here, given that yesterday was a Petco Day. But Barkley (now spelled "Berkley" in the hope that a less obvious "barking dog" name might help people want to consider adopting him!) is still here. I'm really surprised nobody is interested in this dog, because he isn't really a barker, is very low-maintenance, is a great lap dog, and a real sweetheart -- he even returns objects that you throw for him! and when was the last time I had a dog that did that?

I spent the afternoon writing the journal entry about the party and starting to put video together. I'm not doing the videos in chronological order. I'm starting with my favorite, which is the song that Jeri and Phil wrote and then over the next week I'll get others posted as well. But in the meantime, enjoy "The Grandma Side." I think you'll agree it's a lot of fun!